Overshoe with water deflector



July 15, 1969 B. LAMARCHE 3,455,036

OVERSHOE WITH WATER DEFLECTOR Filed Sept. 6, 1967 INVENTOR Raymond B. LAMARCHE W ,1 TTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 367.3 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention consists of a low vamp overshoe with a flange projecting slightly above the level of the sole and having a lower face substantially parallel to the sole, to deflect water away from the overshoe vamp and the shoe upper.

This invention relates to overshoes of rubber composition or other suitable material such as are used for walking on wet surfaces. The invention is particularly applicable to overshoes of low vamp type which cover only the sole, the edges around it and the forward and lower portions of the shoe vamp.

When an overshoe is used on water-soaked ground or even on a hard surface wet with rain water, it will necessarily pick up a certain amount of water the quantityof which will depend on various factors such as the nature of the material used for the overshoe, the condition it is in, the shape and contour of the overshoe and in particular the texture and engraving of the sole.

At the beginning of each step, as the heel is lifted and the sole and toe pressed against the ground, water picked up by the overshoe will tend to travel forward towards the sole and upward along the vamp of the overshoe. This travelling effect will be continued by inertia at the termination of each step when the heel again strikes the ground and further when the sole itself comes to a sudden stop against the ground. Furthermore, the shock of the impact of the heel and sole against the ground adds to the above-mentioned travelling effect a splattering effect thereby projecting drops of water upwardly and rearwardly.

In the case of overshoes which cover the shoe upper, the above-mentioned effect does not present any great disadvantage, in that the water thus projected will merely wet the waterproof surface of the overshoe and will run down the sides.

In the case, however, of the less bulky and more fashionable low vamp overshoes, the shoe upper itself becomes covered with drops of water which may soak the leather and damage it and which may even penetrate around the edges of the vamp of the overshoe thus soaking the sole.

Overshoes which are lined with fabric cause somewhat less damage because some of the water is absorbed by the fabric. However, with the unlined overshoes which are becoming more popular due to their reduced weight, greater flexibility and lower price, the accumulation of 3,455,036 Patented July 15, 1969 ice water inside the overshoe can be substantial even after normal use by relatively active persons.

The primary object of the present invention is to prevent water from travelling from the sole of the overshoe to the shoe upper or being splattered thereon by the normal walking action as described above.

For this purpose, the low vamp overshoe is provided in accordance with the invention with a water deflector at when the toe, preferably consisting of a flange which projects slightly above the level of the sole and has a lower face substantially parallel to the sole, such flange being thus placed in the path or trajectory of the water and being effective to divert the same in a downward and forward direction away from the overshoe vamp and the shoe upper.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view from below of the front portion of an overshoe according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

FIGURE 3 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section.

As shown in the drawings, the overshoe has a suitably textured sole 10 merging with a vamp 11.

The water deflector provided according to the invention consists of a flange 12 which projects slightly above the level of the sole 10 and has a lower face 13 substantially parallel to the sole, this face 13 of the flange being effective to strike down the water which surges from under the overshoe due to the forces induced during walking as previously described.

The flange 12 has its maximum thickness at the toe and tapers off in thickness towards both sides of the overshoe terminating on each side at a relatively short distance from the toe.

For the sake of appearance and also to allow proper run-off of water from the vamp 11, the upper surface 14 of the flange 12 is beveled.

I claim:

1. An overshoe particularly of the low vamp type comprising water deflecting means in the form of a ridge disposed around the front of the overshoe and extending outwardly therefrom, said ridge presenting one wall the surface of which is essentially parallel to the surface of the adjoining portion of the sole of the overshoe and downwardly facing, the thickness of said ridge being greatest at a point intermediate between the ends thereof and gradually decreasing toward said ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,198,864 8/1965 Bingham 36-73 X FOREIGN PATENTS 510,529 3/1955 Canada. 557,618 5/1958 Canada.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

